Frankfurt Cannabis Health Symposium: Everything you need to know

Following the success of Cannabis Health‘s inaugural London event last year, this year will expand on its goal of providing all the information a prescriber will need to practise confidently in their specific market.

As such, the Frankfurt and London events, on 4 and 26 November, respectively, carry distinct agendas shaped by the regulatory and clinical context each audience is working within. 

This week’s programme will explore some of the biggest questions facing medical cannabis care in Germany, covering prescribing, patient care, research and regulation, with talks and panels delivered in English and German.

If you’re joining us, here’s what to know before you arrive.

Where and when is the symposium?

The event takes place on Wednesday 4 November at Mainhaus Stadthotel Frankfurt, Lange Straße 26, 60311 Frankfurt am Main.

Registration and coffee from 8.30am, with welcome remarks at 9.30am. Talks finish at 4.30pm, followed by networking until 6pm.

What’s on the programme?

The morning opens with a presentation from headline partner PharmCann Deutschland, followed by a look at Germany’s medical cannabis market with Dr Patrick Möbius, head of business intelligence at Grünhorn Group. It is set to cover patient access rights, reimbursement within the statutory health insurance system, and the expanding responsibilities of pharmacists as prescription volumes grow.

• At 10.20am, the telemedicine debate will examine whether online prescribing is improving treatment or creating new risks
• The 11am panel, Evidence or Ideology?, will ask how politicians and clinicians should make decisions while important gaps remain in cannabis research.
• At 11.40am, pain specialist Michael Ueberall will examine cannabinoids and opioids, considering which treatments offer the greatest overall benefit for particular patients.
• At 12.10pm, Cannabinoid therapeutics adviser Shabnam Sarshar and gynaecologist Sylvia Mechsner will discuss endometriosis and women’s health, including what patient-reported experiences can tell us and where stronger research is needed. It will also consider the role of the endocannabinoid system.
• Lunch and networking begin at 12.40pm.

What will the afternoon cover?

The afternoon turns to clinical science. 

• At 1.40pm, Antonia Menzel, chair of pharmaceutical cannabinoid industry association BPC, will discuss Germany’s policy changes. She will examine how insurance coverage and proposed restrictions on online prescribing could affect patients’ treatment and costs, and what clinicians need to consider when supporting them.
• At 2.10pm, Ana Serrato, chair of ASTM International’s cannabis human health subcommittee, will explain how manufacturing and testing standards are developed, when voluntary standards become rules and why they matter to prescribers.
• The 2.30pm quality panel will ask whether Europe needs shared requirements for medical cannabis. Serrato will join Bedrocan founder Tjalling Erkelens, Canify’s Silvia von Pistor, European Medicinal Cannabis Association general secretary Sita Schubert and PharmCann’s Sussann Hesse.
• The discussion will address consistency between batches and how clinicians choose a replacement when a patient’s usual medicine is unavailable.
• At 3.10pm, pharmacist Dr Christiane Neubaur, managing director of cannabis pharmacies association VCA, will discuss pharmacists’ responsibilities, from checking and preparing medicines to advising patients about their treatment.
• The closing panel at 3.40pm asks what Germany can learn from other European countries. BvCW president Dirk Heitepriem, Tilray Medical’s José Tempero and pharmacist Nitin Makadia will discuss choosing suitable medicines, checking prescriptions, managing interactions with other drugs and avoiding treatment errors.
• View the full programme and speaker list here.

What language will the sessions be in?

The programme includes sessions in English and German, with the language marked beside each session on the event page.

The telemedicine and evidence-policy panels, Michael Ueberall’s pain presentation, Antonia Menzel’s prescribing session and Christiane Neubaur’s pharmacy presentation are listed in German.

The women’s health session, product standards and quality discussions, and closing European panel are listed in English.

What’s included in the ticket?

Tickets include the day’s talks and panel discussions, lunch, refreshments and coffee breaks, plus the networking drinks reception.

Eligible new clinician and allied healthcare professional members can also receive one year’s free membership of the Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society (MCCS). The redemption code is included in the ticket confirmation email.

Will there be networking after the talks?

Alongside registration coffee and the lunch break, there will be time to meet speakers and fellow attendees after the programme finishes at 4.30pm, with networking at Mainhaus until 6pm.

A drinks reception for delegates follows at 6.30pm at the Bloomwell rooftop, Hamburger Allee 14.

Where can I find the latest information?

Check the Frankfurt symposium event page for programme updates and ticket availability, and keep your booking confirmation handy.